At Midnight
by samurai-ashes
Summary: It’s ten minutes ‘til midnight on New Year’s Eve, and Yuugi is determined to find someone to kiss. [YuugixRyou - slightly before-season ]


**_ashes doesn't own yugioh. a bit obvious, ne?_**

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**- author notes -**  
I was sitting in the hallway during lunch, working on another story then the idea of new year's kisses was approached. The story I was working on was much more serious, and I wanted to write something a little more light-hearted for the idea. Hence this ficlet was born; it's a little before-season, but we can just say that we're trying to get people in the mood for the impending 2004 new year, lol. 

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Yuugi's watch beeped; he looked down at it. 11:50 PM. He stopped the alarm. 

11:50 PM. In ten minutes it would be a new year, and he didn't have anyone to kiss. He remembered the New Year's parties he went to with Grandpa when he was younger; at midnight all of the adults would cheer and kiss, and Yuugi would sit in a corner and feel left out. Now he was sixteen, invited to a party with people his own age, and he wanted someone to kiss at midnight. He only had to find someone… 

He would have kissed Anzu, but she was out of town with her family for the holidays. Yuugi sighed; he had really hoped she would be back in time for the party. It would have been much easier to explain kissing her than it would be if he kissed one of his friends. Not that he minded… 

Jou would have been an obvious choice, but as it was Yuugi had no clue where to find him. He knew that earlier - by some unknown means - Jou had gotten something to drink; the last time Yuugi had seen the blond was at 11. Pity; Jou was fearlessly affectionate when he drank. Then again, Yuugi couldn't stand the taste of alcohol, so maybe that was Fate's way of telling him that Jou wasn't meant to be his new year's kiss. 

Honda was out of the question; he had disappeared about the same time at Jou. Come to think of it, Otogi had disappeared with them, and that about summed up all the people Yuugi knew at the party. He glared down at his watch. 11:52 PM. The hostess was yelling instructions for what to do at midnight. Someone had large numbers displayed on the TV screen: the time. He had eight minutes to find someone to kiss, and he wasn't particularly picky about who the kiss came from. Just then it appeared that luck was on his side; he spied Ryou sitting on the sofa, coke in hand. Perfect! Yuugi all but skipped over to his white-haired friend. 

"Hi, Ryou," he said sweetly, sitting as close to Ryou as he could. Ryou smiled. 

"Hello. Are you having a good time?" 

"Yup." Yuugi beamed. "I'm so excited!" 

Ryou nodded. "New Year's is always like that." 

11:55 PM. Yuugi just hoped that Ryou wouldn't freak out… Yuugi was sure he wouldn't. Ryou DID look like he was… well, into boys. And all Yuugi intended to take was a kiss. One kiss at midnight - to mark a good new year. 

"Any resolutions?" Ryou asked. He looked like he was trying hard to make conversation. 

"Not really… none that are long term, anyway." Yuugi winked, but Ryou probably didn't get it. "What about you?" 

"Well, nothing…" Ryou blushed. "Nothing important. Say, where are Jou and… everyone?" 

Yuugi shrugged. "I don't know; they vanished without a trace nearly an hour ago." 

More silence, listening to the crowd's banter. Yuugi tried not to bounce with excitement. He was going to kiss someone… never mind that he wasn't sharing that important bit of information with Ryou. He would rather get a kiss by surprise and be turned down than be turned down before he got a chance. 

11:58 PM. The instructions were louder; Yuugi was willing to bet that the hostess would be hoarse in the morning. "Okay! Everyone, the clock is going to count down! Yell the last 10 seconds with us! Two minutes until the New Year…!" 

"I always love this part," Ryou confessed with flushed cheeks. "Everyone laughing and singing; it's like nothing bad could ever happen." 

Yuugi nodded. 11:59 PM. Less than a minute… 

"It's almost time! EVERYONE READY?!" the hostess yelled, grinning. Ryou set his soda on the coffee table and stood up on the couch cushions excitedly. Yuugi followed, scowling a little. Ryou was going to be harder to catch standing. 

"Ten!" 

"Hey, Ryou!" Yuugi yelled over the voices. 

"Hm?" Ryou was grinning, leaning down to Yuugi's height; he was bouncing back on his heals. 

"Seven!" 

"I just wanna say…" 

Ryou leaned a little closer, and yelled with the crowd "FOUR!" 

Yuugi licked his lips. "Happy New Year." 

"TWO!" 

Yuugi jumped up, just enough to catch Ryou around at the shoulders, and pulled him down, kissing him as the people started cheering and screaming "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Ryou didn't hesitate in pulling him closer, tongue seeking - and receiving - entrance to Yuugi's mouth. Yuugi lost himself in the blissful oblivion of what turned out to be a damn good kiss. 

Great way to go into the New Year; no wonder adults had always done it. He wasn't sure how far into the New Year it was when the kiss ended, and he didn't really care. 

"Happy New Year to you too," Ryou said playfully. "Did you come all the way over here just to do that?" 

"Maybe," Yuugi said, stretching out his syllables. 

"Oh," Ryou mock-pouted. "I feel used." 

Yuugi laughed and hugged Ryou around the shoulders. "Don't be sad; you make a great New Year's kiss!" 

"Is that so? Would you be so inclined to give it another shot?" 

Yuugi's smile widened. Well, it was a party; why the hell not? "Sure," he said, winking before leaning in to capture Ryou's lips in another kiss. 

_Damn_, he told himself. _What a way to start a new year._

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-end-

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